New to Nootropics? Start Here

Nootropics are compounds that make you smarter… sort of. They’re often referred to as “smart drugs”, but they don’t make you inherently more intelligent. You won’t be able to instantly name the 50 state capitals or anything of that nature.

Instead, nootropics help your brain to function better as a whole – the effects from nootropics can be more mental clarity, a greater attention span, more motivation for mundane tasks, better vocabulary recollection (“finding the right word”), etc.

Different nootropics have different effects, and scientifically, they all work in different ways. However, all nootropics share one similar quality – in the recommended dosages, they do not normally produce any negative side effects. For example, methamphetamine can give you all of the benefits that nootropics do, but because of the slew of consistent negative side effects associated with it – insomnia, lack of appetite, etc. – meth is not a nootropic.

Stick around and learn something then

How do nootropics work, exactly?

There are some things that we know about nootropics, and then there are other aspects that we are completely clueless about.

Most of the evidence we have regarding nootropics is empirical. This means that we know that they work because we’ve observed them working over, and over, and over again on humans of all shapes and sizes…

…but we’re still somewhat clueless on how they work scientifically within your brain. Sure, there’s been plenty of speculation behind it, but even the oldest drug, piracetam, which was invented in 1963, does not have any firm data behind it aside from a handful of studies.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You know Tylenol? That miracle drug that most people have right in their medicine cabinets?

The main ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen, and similar to piracetam, we don’t really have a clue how it works. We just know that it helps people alleviate pain because we’ve seen this over, and over, and over again, and we know that there are no side effects unless you go overboard because we’ve seen this over, and over, and over again.

Most nootropics (such as piracetam) are in the same boat – while there are no concrete theories behind how it works, we know that it does work, and we know that there are very few (if any) side effects.

What to expect from taking nootropics

Each and every nootropic varies in two regards – what it claims to do, and what you’ll experience from it. Most (if not all) nootropics claim to stimulate you mentally, but there are also nootropic “enhancers”, such a choline. These enhancers may not do a lot by themselves, but they can potentiate the effects of other nootropics.

It’s very rare that you will experience the effects of a nootropic on the first try. Unlike OTC pills like Tylenol and hard drugs like methamphetamine, it usually takes a few doses for the effects to become noticeable.

Once you maintain a nootropic regimen for a week or so, you will begin to notice the effects… or you won’t. If you’re experiencing what you should, then keep your dosage consistent to continue getting the positive effects. If you don’t experience anything, you can try upping the dosage amount or frequency, but make sure that you can do this safely for the nootropic you’re taking.

Not all nootropics will work for everyone. And not all doses will work for everyone. It’s all about getting a nootropic and adjusting as necessary until you find the sweet spot. If you never find the sweet spot, then it’s worth trying a different nootropic – what works for some people won’t work for others, and vice versa.

Are nootropics legal?

The short answer is yes. It’s legal to possess nootropics almost everywhere. Make sure to check your country’s laws before ordering, though. And even if it’s legal to possess, it may not be legal to manufacture or sell in your home country.

That being said, even if it is legal, certain marketplaces won’t touch nootropics due to the potential legal headache. For example, Amazon does not allow any sort of nootropics to be listed on any of its sites.

How do I start?

By now, you know that nootropics are legal, have no side effects, and can enhance you mentally as a person. Your next step is getting a tub of one that appeals to you and testing it out!

For beginners, we recommend either piracetam or noopept. Both are similar in the effects you’ll feel, and both are extremely popular because of their high success rates.